Minneapolis Police Department Changes Body Camera Policy

Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) -The Minneapolis Police Department has announced a change in the policy dealing with body cameras used by its officers.

From now on, officers will be required to activate the devices when responding to any call and traffic stops. The change is being made in the aftermath of a recent fatal police shooting of a woman in Minneapolis who had called 911 to report a possible sexual assault.The two officers involved did not have their cameras activated.

The Minneapolis policy is somewhat similar to the one adopted by the Rochester Police Department.

Chief Roger Peterson says his department requires the cameras to be turned on whenever an officer has interaction with the public in investigative or enforcement situations, which would include traffic stops. Peterson says it would be impractical for his officers to have their cameras activated for all calls they respond to because of recording limitations. He says the policy will likely change as technology improves.

Peterson says he is not sure if his officers would have had their cameras activated in a situation similar to what happened in Minneapolis because all the details of the case have not yet been released.